A private bill is sent to an unopposed bill committee for its committee stage if no organisations or people who are directly affected by the bill have opposed it by petitioning against it.
Members of the committee are:
- the Chairman of Ways and Means (the principal Deputy Speaker)
- the two Deputy Chairmen of Ways and Means (the other two Deputy Speakers)
- four other MPs (without personal or constituency interests in the bill) appointed to the committee
As with an opposed bill committee, an unopposed bill committee acts in a quasi-judicial capacity (in other words, it considers matters more like a court).
An unopposed bill committee will:
- listen to the promotors and decide if they have proved the general case for the bill (the “preamble”); promoters are usually represented by counsel
- decide whether any amendments proposed by the promoters are suitable and any further amendments are needed
At the end of its consideration, an unopposed bill committee can:
- approve the bill as it stands
- approve the bill with amendments, or with undertakings from the promoters
- make a special report to the House
- decide that the need for the bill is not proven (in which case the bill can’t proceed any further)
Unopposed bill committees usually meet only once.
If you’re appointed to an unopposed bill committee, the Private Secretary to the Chairman of Ways and Means (the principal Deputy Speaker) will be in touch to explain the process.